Kanpur Kidney Racket: OT Manager Surrenders, Faces 14-Day Judicial Custody
In a significant development in the illegal kidney transplant case, Mudassar Ali Siddiqui, an OT manager who was absconding with a reward of Rs 25,000 on his head, surrendered before the ACJM-VI Court in Kanpur on Thursday. The court promptly remanded him to 14 days of judicial custody, marking a crucial step in the ongoing investigation into the widespread organ trafficking syndicate.
Key Accused and Police Actions
Police have already arrested 10 accused in this kidney racket, with Siddiqui, popularly known as Doctor Ali, being a central figure. DCP West SM Qasim Abidi revealed that jailed co-accused confessed Siddiqui performed the surgeries. Multiple police teams conducted extensive searches in the Delhi-NCR region, including a flat in Uttam Nagar, Delhi, where his wife confirmed his role as an OT manager.
Background of the Racket
The illegal kidney transplant operations were uncovered at Ahuja Hospital in Keshavpuram and Medilife Hospital in Masawanpur. Notable arrests include Dr Surjit Singh Ahuja, Dr Preeti Ahuja, Shivam Aggarwal, Rajesh Kumar, Ram Prakash Kushwaha, Narendra Singh, Rohit Tiwari, Parvez Saifi, Kuldeep Singh Raghav, and Narendra Tomar, all currently in jail. Rewards of Rs 25,000 were announced for Rohit Tiwari, Siddiqui, and Dr Afzal.
Recent Breakthroughs and Network Exposure
In a breakthrough, Kanpur police arrested Rohit Tiwari, a Class XII passout, on Monday for posing as a doctor and managing 30 surgeries. Tiwari, who had a Rs 25,000 bounty, evaded arrest by moving between Goa, Kathmandu, Manali, and Shimla since the racket was busted on March 31. The syndicate was exposed after raids on Ahuja Hospital in Maswanpur, prompted by a tip-off, revealed illegal transplants at various city hospitals.
Extensive Network and Modus Operandi
The racket's connections extended beyond Kanpur to Lucknow, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Nepal. Accused used Telegram to lure poor individuals into selling kidneys for Rs 5-10 lakh, which were then sold to wealthy patients for Rs 60 lakh to 1 crore. Following the March 31 raid, police raided Priya Hospital in Panki Kalyanpur, where a woman underwent a transplant, and Medlife Hospital in Awas Vikas Kalyanpur, where a student from Begusarai, Bihar, was found admitted, with his kidney donated to the woman at Priya Hospital.
This case highlights the severe exploitation in illegal organ trade, with authorities intensifying efforts to dismantle the network and bring all perpetrators to justice.
